The present invention relates to a perpetual calendar display device for displaying all of the dates for each week of a selected month of a given calendar year. More particularly, the perpetual calendar display device includes rotatable vertical columns such that when the user sets the first seven days within the calendar week, the next three weeks fall automatically into place. The user then turns the appropriate other remaining rotatable vertical columns for setting the last few days of a selected month.
Perpetual calendars in various forms, such as mechanical and manual, have been provided, but many are confusing to those users who find it difficult to remember the number of days which occur in each specific month for a given calendar year. Typically, perpetual calendar devices usually include a viewing window or area through which 42 day spaces may be viewed and a portion of the calendar disposed behind the viewing window has 57 month day indicia thereon arranged in serial arrangements repetitively in coordinates of seven and the aforementioned calendar portion is shiftable relative to the window in order that the desired total number of month days may be registered with the viewing window. The shiftable calendar portion must be adjusted to a particular position for each month in order that the first day of the month may start on the correct day of the week and after once being correctly adjusted, the day numbers of that month each are correctly positioned according to the days of the week. However, inasmuch as some months have 28, 29, 30 or 31 days, the month day numerals must include as many as 31 month day numerals registered with the aforementioned window and if that month has only 28, 29 or 30 days, the calendar is incorrect at the end of the month indicating at least one extra day in the month causing some persons to be confused by the extra day or a plurality of extra days when trying to rearrange the perpetual calendar display by the user.
There remains a need for a perpetual calendar device which may be properly set according to the number of days in a selected month being independent of whether that selected month includes 28, 29, 30 and 31 days. Further, the perpetual calendar display device will display all of the dates for each week of a selected month of a given calendar year. Additionally, the perpetual calendar display device will include seven rotatable vertical columns such that when a user sets the first seven days within the calendar week, the next three weeks fall automatically into place, where then the user turns the appropriate other remaining rotatable vertical columns for setting the last few days of that selected month.
Perpetual calendars, mechanical calendars, desk calendars and multi-year calendar devices of various designs, configurations, structures and materials of construction have been disclosed in the prior art. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 3,604,135 to ROBINSON discloses a mechanical calendar for indicating the day of the week on which a date in any month in a year falls. Symbols for indicating the year numeral, the date numeral, the days of the week and months of the year being arranged on peripheries of annular gears which can be selectively interconnected by gearing mounted in a movable cradle. The cradle is moved so that the gearing selectively engages the year numeral annual gears and the date data annular gear such that when the gearing rotated by a person operating the calendar to change the year numeral to a desired year the date data displayed is simultaneously altered. The cradle is then further moved by the operator to bring the gearing into selective engagement with the months annular gear and the days of the week annular gear so that by further rotation of the gearing to bring the desired month into display the day of the week data displayed is also simultaneously altered. This prior art patent does not disclose or teach a manually operated perpetual calendar wall display device having the configuration, design and structure of the present invention.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,930,326 to ROSA discloses a desk calendar which permits the day, date and year to be changed by the simple manipulation of two dials, having, internally, a first and second shaft, each shaft controlling two rotatable drums. Each shaft has disposed thereon a first and second actuating member for operative engagement with a coupling device such that when the dialing member is turned in one direction the first drum will rotate and when the dial member is turned in the opposite direction the second drum will rotate. The same structure is related to the second shaft which is disposed on the other end of the frame having a separate dialing member associated therewith. This prior art patent does not disclose or teach a manually operated perpetual calendar wall display device having the configuration, design and structure of the present invention.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,376,346 to NELSON discloses a cylindrical perpetual calendar. The calendar may be adjusted in order that each month displayed by the calendar will have only the correct number of month days indicated thereby, as shown in FIGS. 1 and 3. The perpetual calendar may be constructed in various forms, but the preferred form is that of a cylindrical member whose interior may be utilized for storage of various items. This prior art patent does not disclose or teach a manually operated perpetual calendar wall display device having the configuration, design and structure of the present invention.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,484,402 to KEBE discloses a perpetual calendar possessing the ability to display any date, past, present or future, in a finite range, and the day of the week for that particular date without prior knowledge or calculation. The perpetual calendar includes individually gear driven indicia belts for composing month and year dates and another indicia belt which is simultaneously gear driven with the movement of any one of the aforesaid individually gear driven indicia belts is shiftable into driving engagement with a selected indicia belt by linear movement of a sliding indicator on the top panel of the calendar housing. The drive shaft for the single shiftable drive gear is turned by an external knob on one side of the calendar housing. This prior art patent does not disclose or teach a manually operated perpetual calendar wall display device having the configuration, design and structure of the present invention.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,657,561 to ZYKOV discloses a multi-year calendar device, as shown in FIGS. 1 to 13 of the drawings. The calendar device includes a casing having a first window and a second window therethrough. A mechanism is for manually turning a continuous belt in the casing. A person operating the manually turning mechanism can align one year date on the continuous belt in the first window to one month name on the casing and then view the numerical month dates for that particular month of that particular year through the second window in the casing. This prior art patent does not disclose or teach a manually operated perpetual calendar wall display device having the configuration, design and structure of the present invention.
None of the aforementioned prior art patents disclose or teach the features, configuration and structure of the perpetual calendar display device having rotatable calendar dates for displaying a particular month of a given year by manual manipulation.
Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a perpetual calendar display device that is capable of displaying all of the dates for each week of a selected month of a given calendar year.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a perpetual calendar display device that uses seven rotatable vertical columns such that when the user sets the first seven days within the calendar week, the next three weeks fall automatically into place, when then the user now turns the appropriate other remaining rotatable vertical columns for setting the last few days of a selected month.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a perpetual calendar display device that needs to interchanging of numbers for the proper placement of the calendar dates for a selected month for a given year.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a perpetual calendar display device that includes a plurality of snap-in occasion pieces for further indicating important dates such as birthdays, holidays, anniversaries, medical visits, school events and sporting events.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a perpetual calendar display device that is easily operated by the simple manual manipulation of turning each of the rotatable vertical columns by a rubber-tipped number turner being operated by the user.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a perpetual calendar display device that is cleanable, durable being made of wood, plastic, ceramic or light-weight metals.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a perpetual calendar display device that can be used on a wall, or on a table, counter or desktop.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a perpetual calendar display device that can be mass produced in an automated and economical manner and is readily affordable by the consumer.
In accordance with the present invention, there is provided a perpetual calendar display device for displaying the calendar date. The perpetual calendar display device includes a calendar housing having a front wall, a rear wall, a top wall, a bottom wall and side walls for forming a first interior compartment. The front wall includes eight (8) elongated vertical spaced-apart strips each having side edges for forming seven (7) elongated vertical spaced-apart display openings. The first interior compartment having mounted therein seven spaced-apart rotatable columns. Each of the rotatable columns includes six (6) vertically spaced-apart display areas, and each of the display areas having up to seven (7) display positions forming a total of at least thirty-seven (37) display positions. Each of the thirty-seven (37) display positions having a number thereon corresponding to the date of a selected month; and the thirty-seven (37) display positions being movable into and out of the display openings for displaying all of the dates for the selected month. Each of the display windows are for receiving one of the display positions for displaying one of the dates of the selected month.